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Broker Tour Insider Notes

As a memory aid for myself and as a resource for clients, I'm keeping notes on properties I visit. Click on the address or photo to read more about any particular property. Click here to read my blog post on the importance of broker tours.

My notes:
Second and third floor of a 2 family. The top level is the master suite, but no door separates it for privacy from the main level. 1 zone for heating and a/c - the second floor was of course much warmer than the main level. Nicely updated interior. Exterior needs love and paint.
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My notes:
First floor and lower level of the Empire Building on Beacon St. Although it has a lot of square footage, it’s spread out in a way that there is not as much entertaining space as you might expect: there is the rec room downstairs, and the open kitchen/living room upstairs. Three bedrooms. In the front of the unit the windows are smaller garden/below grade feeling, but on the sides and back there are full windows even on the lower level.
In 2012 there was a major fire in the building. Back then it was an apartment building. In the renovation they turned it into condos around 2014. A number of units sold recently. In the past 24 months, of the ten units, 4 were sold, and 2-3 others were listed and failed to sell, including this unit. This unit was listed for $1,575,000 on April 26, 2017, then dropped to $1,499,000, then dropped again to $1,445,000 end of May, before being withdrawn June 17th. (And re-listed about an hour ago).
Unit 1, which is probably the most similar unit in the building, sold recently, on June 14, 2017. It was listed for $1,499,000, and sold for $1,400,000. ($478/sqft). It is very similar, except approximately 300 square feet smaller. It also is a first and lower level unit.
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My notes:
2-family, each unit has 3 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and hallway. Kitchen and baths are dated. The potential here is if you were able to do a major renovation and add square footage, either by pushing out a dormer in the attic, or probably easier, finishing some portion of the large basement which seemed to have good ceiling height.
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My notes:
In demand 2-bedroom. Large master bedroom suite. No dining room. Currently rented out and the tenant would like to stay - so make sure to include in your offers if it needs to be delivered vacant!
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My notes:
The building location is very convenient between Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village. This unit on the third (top) floor of this building.
Parking is rental for $200/month, and is right across the street.
My understanding is that the sellers used to rent this unit, and then three years ago they bought it directly from the owner. Then they renovated the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms, which all look nice. Both bedrooms have large closets.
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My notes:
Very spacious and well-maintained for a 2 bedroom. Walk up to this third floor (top floor). It has an updated kitchen. Deeded parking spot. No restrictions on renting or pets. Currently 3/16 units in the association are rented out. No planned assessments coming up, and about $49k in reserve fund. Seems to be well managed by Danin Management Company. Lovely place.
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My notes:
This is a small, attached, single-family in need of a gut rehab. The floor plan might be challenging though if you want to keep three bedrooms, because there is no bathroom on the second floor, and not a lot of space to add one without taking away one of the bedrooms.
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My notes:
Gorgeous new construction with high end finishes and a very thoughtful layout. (Ask me for the floor plan). It has a large bedroom with ensuite bathroom on the ground floor, great for guests. There is a lot of square footage in the finished lower level as well, including a kitchenette and additional bedroom, that could be used as an au pair suite.
Newton Street is a busier street, but the house seemed quiet on our visit.
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My notes:
Small single-family houses are in high demand, and I'm expecting this one to sell very quickly and for above ask. Despite this going into a long-weekend, I could see this going for as much as $1.7M ($200K over ask). They plan to hold all offers until 2pm Tuesday.
There are 3 parking spots total: 1 in garage, and 2 tandem blocking spots in the driveway. Additionally, they say that there is a neighborhood understanding that you can park one car on the street in front of the houses.
Quiet, private side-street. Can see the park from the house.
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My notes:
On corner of Egmont St and Amory St, not far from Comm Ave. Private, direct entrance off the street to this unit. It's a garden level unit, meaning it's partially below grade. As a corner unit, though, it gets some light even on a cloudy day like today. Large pantry storage. In the first bedroom, the large wardrobe will stay.
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My notes:
Both bedrooms are large and have ensuite full bathrooms. Large, modern kitchen. Access to the private roof deck is by a ladder-like steep staircase. This unit is 2 flights of stairs up from the entry.
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My notes:
Lovely 3-bed on second floor, convenient to the St Paul stop on the C line. The bedrooms are large. Some quirks: the dining room and kitchen are on opposite sides of the apartment - a challenge for entertaining. One of the bedrooms is right off the dining room, separated by french doors. Also, no parking included.
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My notes:
Top floor has low and slanted ceilings; tough for tall people. Main level has very nice, updated kitchen. Also, living room and dining room, but no hangout/family room. Bedrooms split: 2 on main floor and 2 on upper floor. $1.4m seems substantially overpriced considering the square footage and the slanted ceilings upstairs.
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My notes:
Includes a parking spot! In the Coolidge Park neighborhood, close to the Allston line, near Bfresh and TJ Max. All new windows, except for the stained glass. Felt spacious in entertaining areas. Well-priced for a three-bedroom, and worth checking out, as long as okay with the quirks: 2 of the 3 bedrooms are small. No outdoor space.
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My notes:
It’s listed as a single-family attached, and is half a house - narrow and vertical. Not a ton of square footage for the price: 1899 sqft for $1.745m. The backyard is a beautiful stone patio and landscaped terraces - probably low maintenance there. Kitchen is nice, with a very high-end Wolf stove. Ground floor has living room, dining room, and kitchen for common space - no family or hangout room. Second floor is 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and small office. Third floor could be considered the master floor - a bedroom and full bathroom up there, but no door to make it a suite. A bit of a hike to the laundry downstairs in the unfinished basement. Something to note that’s not obvious is that the Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter, is directly across the street.
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My notes:
South-facing, top-floor unit on Commonwealth Ave, gets good sunlight. 1 parking spot behind. Very close to the Warren St T stop. 4 flights up. This unit was owner-occupied; the seller is closing on their new home at the end of October. Nicely updated unit, and kitchen. Central air. No known assessments, and owner occupancy ~55%. Blinds and closets included.
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My notes:
2 weeks ago I visited another listing in this same building, unit 314. This unit, 610, is a 1 bedroom. Faces north, so more diffused light. Top floor. Vacant. Big apartment building in a leafy single-family neighborhood. Elevator building. Big windows. Open floor plan living/dining room. Large bedrooms.
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My notes:
Private street, easy to drive by if you don't know where it is. Great outdoor space, including deck off the kitchen, and stone patio below. Quiet neighbors - the house overlooks a cemetery. Second floor has 3 bedrooms, and the third floor has 2 bedrooms + a large recreation/hangout room which could be a another bedroom. Basement partially finished. All bedrooms were good sizes. Large front-door is a nice touch. Spacious kitchen.
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My notes:
In the Point neighborhood, two new construction townhouses. This one is the lower unit; the upper unit is about $200k more. Big backyard. Heated garage and driveways. Bathrooms are nice. Master bedroom on lower level. Not a ton of entertaining space though; the living room and dining room felt compact although certainly usable.
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My notes:
This is one of four new, gut-renovated, high-end units at this address. Right on Beacon St, it's a corner unit with lots of windows. In fact, the master bedroom and bathroom have walls of windows overlooking the street. The new owners will have to invest in lots of blinds for privacy! Floor plan has some sharp angles - may want to install custom built shelves to take advantage.
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My notes:
Attached garage, with direct entry to lower level. Bedrooms on different levels: one on top floor and one on lower. A full bathroom on both levels. Built in 1984. Nice private patio.
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My notes:
Spacious, floor-through condo. Not really in "Cottage Farm" but close - this is on the other side of Amory St. Definitely could use some updating. Older kitchen, baths. Steam heat. Older windows. Window A/C. Some wasted space in the floor plan, but plenty of square footage, so for a buyer with vision, this could be a great canvas to make your dream home. Also, 2 exclusive parking spots included.
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My notes:
It comes with a 2 car garage, which is fairly rare at this price point. For outdoor space, it has a private porch in the back. What is really nice about this one is the large, open floor plan, living/dining room and kitchen, with a very high, cathedral ceiling, and lots of light. Seems like a fabulous space for entertaining.
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My notes:
White Place is a one-way street, steps from Brookline Village. Lovely unit, with limited entertaining space - open living room and kitchen, no dining room or office. It comes with roof rights, and the roof was very pleasant, but there is no railing - it’s being used now as a seemingly improvised space. Installing the proper safety measures would be a highly advisable project for the next owner, whether they have children or not.
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My notes:
It’s a ground-floor unit, and something to note is that although most of the rooms have full-size windows, one of the bedrooms is partially below-grade and has small, high windows. There is electric heat in parts of the unit, which often equates to higher utility bills in the winter, so be sure to factor that into costs. Something I really liked about this one was that there was a small study off of the master bedroom. Also, the private patio seemed ideal, and easily accessible from the kitchen.
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My notes:
Attached single family, unique layout. (That means it shares walls with the neighboring houses.) Directly across from Griggs Park. 3 bedrooms on second floor, and a very modern full bathroom. On top floor is the master suite with bath, as well as two small office-like rooms. Full basement, unfinished, with plenty of extra storage. The master bedroom furniture was custom built for the space and is included in the sale.
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Note: Information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. I fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Information is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.